Woodbury
Woodbury is a small village that sprung out of a lumber camp in the March of Eastwyck north of the town of Browin on the River Road that follows the Blackthorn River. The logging camp was eventually expanded into a small village by the House of Oakenthal to be maintained by one of the family. Historically the village of woodbury has never been anything more than a minor holding with little economic or military value. It is often where lesser sons of Oakenthal are allowed to rule in their father's name. See also: Woodbury/Map The village is located along a small wagon road, the Horn Run , that diverts from the River road to pass through the village and then reconnect with it futher south. The wagon road is marked by the remains of a watch tower up on a stoney shelf to the north. The tower, called Woodwatch Tower, was created by one of the sons of the House of Oakenthal in an attempt to make a more defendable position outside of the village. The tower and foundations of the perimeter wall was the only structures completed. The main road enters from the north, passes over a dry moat and through the main gates towards the main well and the market square of the village. Layout The village is, essentially, a large circle cleared out of the forest with a hill at the center. A dry moat and wooden palasade surround the village with three gates, north, south and north east. The villages main farmland lies in a clearing to the north east of the village with fragments of stacked stone walls protecting the fields from predators. On the western side of the north gate is the funerial pyramid where the dead are burned so that they will not rise with the comming of the Violet Moon. At the center of the village and set upon a small hill is the Woodbury Keep , a three-story, stone structure that is the home of the lord and protector of the community. Features Feature/Woodbury History The early history of Woodbury was lost to obscurity. The records of the House of Oakenthal record its founding as a logging camp (817 KR ) and some vague references to when the keep and surrounding moat was dug nearly ten years later (827 KR ). The most accurate record of the village's history is also one of the best documented histories in the whole of the Barony thanks to Owen Oakenthal and his interest in writing. See also: Woodbury Chronicles Trades There are only a few trades left within the village, most were simply brought in to service the logging camp and, as the village began to grow and take shape, decided to stay and settle in the community. The tradesmen within the village are: *Blacksmith *Carpenter *Leatherworker *Alchemist *Weaver *Potter The tradesmen and women have formed together to create the Woodbury Guild at the invitation of the new lord of Woodbury, Owen Oakenthal. Rulership The village is ruled by the House of Oakenthal. Owen Oakenthal, the fourth son of the Household, took possession of the village in the year 880 KR . Prior to Owen's rulership it was ran, in name only, by his older brother. Once he arrived he invited the local tradesmen to establish a guild and he would rule the village with them Villagers See also: Villagers of Woodbury or Staff of Woodbury Keep Surrounding Area See also: Woodbury Farmsteads The area surrounding the village of Woodbury was originally settled by those farmers who wished to claim available land after the goblins had been removed (or so had been thought) from the Briarwood. Several families used Woodbury as simply a base to then launch themselves into the forest and carve out a new life for their families. To this end, several wagon trails were blazed into the forest west of the village to accomodate trade and travel for these homesteaders. The wagon trails are little more than wide paths about one staff (5 feet) wide. Trees and any other obstructions were removed from the path and laid to the side to create a burm on either side. This burm is intended to slow the growth of weeds and things that would choke the path. The wagon trails are only as maintained as those who live along its length work on them. This usually means some work to shore up any washed out areas or perhaps a log-bridge here and there. The farmsteads along these roads are positioned near locations of farmable land - usually flat patches here and there that have been hacked out of the woods by hand. All farmhouses out in the country have a perimeter wall to protect against the threat of goblins. Though only a few have ever been noted in recent memory, the threat is still real and the walls are typically enough to discourage midnight raids on the livestock. Because patches of farmable land are spaced out along the road due to the terrain, communication between families is kept at a minimum save when most people travel down the trails to the village on Satyrday for the Market. Category:Settlement Category:Lordshold Category:Eastwyck Category:Briarwood Category:Oakenthal